Septenary

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

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  • The Literary Encyclopedia. WORLD HISTORY AND IDEAS: A CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUME.

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Septenary: a line of seven beats, usually more or less iambic in movement. Often divided by rhyme or on the page into two lines, one of four beats and one of three (followed by a silent beat – see isoictic), it is the

common metre

of ballads and hymns:

The King | sat in | Dumferm|line TownDrinking | the blood-|red wine:“O where | will I find | a skee|ly ski|pperTo sail | this new ship | o’mine?”

The King | sat in | Dumferm|line TownDrinking | the blood-|red wine:“O where | will I find | a skee|ly ski|pperTo sail | this new ship | o’mine?”

Anon, “The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens”

Anon, “The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens”

There is | a green | hill far | away,Without | a ci|ty wall,Where our | dear Lord | was cru|cified,Who died | to save | us all.

116 words

Citation: Groves, Peter Lewis. "Septenary". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 June 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5528, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5528 Septenary 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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